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1st Generation 1964 1/2 - 1973 - Questions & general discussions that apply to a specific year => 1964 1/2 - 1965 => Topic started by: T5owner on May 01, 2015, 05:38:58 AM

Title: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: T5owner on May 01, 2015, 05:38:58 AM
Recently the sons of Alan Mann found an interior shot of the early preproduction car that Alan Mann got in February 1964. You may wish to spot the details here like the Falcon steering wheel knob and the interesting additional instruments installed. Maybe you find some more?
(http://www.ponysite.de/1964febprototypeamann15.jpg)
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: 66candy on May 01, 2015, 09:28:00 AM
Floor mounted gas pedal maybe?
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: carlite65 on May 01, 2015, 04:57:34 PM
doesn't appear to be.
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: C5ZZ on May 01, 2015, 05:23:12 PM
Cable running down by the shifter boot for manual choke most likely.
Interesting place to put it!
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: 67gtasanjose on May 01, 2015, 05:33:50 PM
I say the cable could be for a performance related adjustment, to adjust or tweek something in while driving. It's a test car...Could be most anything from shock valving to ignition timing to fuel mixture. This being a suspension test car, I go with the shock absorber valving.
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: mwizz on May 02, 2015, 08:08:37 AM
That's a great shot, thanks for posting it
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: WT8095 on May 02, 2015, 08:59:39 AM
Some history of this car, including an interview with Alan Mann:

http://www.ponysite.de/alanmann.htm (http://www.ponysite.de/alanmann.htm)

Other pages on the same site have bits of additional related info.
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: T5owner on May 04, 2015, 04:31:11 PM
Yes, that's by coincidence my webpage. 8) It was tough to get Alan Manns ear at that time, took me 3 years of bugging his secretary then. Soon after the interview he went back to racing, so maybe it at least triggered something in him.
There was always some doubt that this early February car could have been also serial #30 which he might have had and is listed on Passino papers as sent to him aside from the #25 and #26 for the Liege rallye.
Yet it seems that this was indeed an earlier car or what is your experts opinion. John Grant and Brian Lews remembered more or less crips  or vaguely a #3, nevertheless little documentation was so far available. The real serialized #3 was a Worlds Fair convertible as you know. Maybe Henry and Tom Mann find more in digging through the boxes that would confirm it as a S-code Allan plant car.

And then there is a longtime rumour that this car pictured here is still around in the UK.
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: CharlesTurner on May 04, 2015, 11:10:36 PM
Weren't most, if not all, of the cars with VIN's stamped on the shock towers 'S' cars?
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: T5owner on May 05, 2015, 05:44:48 PM
Have you seen any of them, Charles? I understood so far that just 2 photo proofs are around of S-code (Allan plant) Mustangs, not more than 7 somehow known today and probably not more than 25 built there, at least until end of January 64 or before the journalist preview on Jan. 21st.  And that not even all of them got a stamping. Would be good to see a pic of the engine bay of one. 

Has 100001 or 100002 a shock tower stamping?
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: svo2scj on May 05, 2015, 05:51:59 PM
BOy that is one tall shifter !!   And the support tabs on the side of the dash are interesting.

Mark
P.S.  That cable looks more to be a COMBO cable with a housing for a switch and pull.  (like fire suppression and lights?)
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: CharlesTurner on May 05, 2015, 05:53:10 PM
Have you seen any of them, Charles? I understood so far that just 2 photo proofs are around of S-code (Allan plant) Mustangs, not more than 7 somehow known today and probably not more than 25 built there, at least until end of January 64 or before the journalist preview on Jan. 21st.  And that not even all of them got a stamping. Would be good to see a pic of the engine bay of one. 

Has 100001 or 100002 a shock tower stamping?

No, never seen any.  Don't believe 001 nor 002 have shock tower stampings.
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: svo2scj on May 05, 2015, 06:00:50 PM
Would be good to see a pic of the engine bay of one. 


You need to come "across the pond" more !

Mark
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: T5owner on May 09, 2015, 11:57:18 AM
Yes, maybe ...I remember that one from 2011 (at least that's when I saved it on my PC:-).

But I think Charles referred to this 5S08F100009 stamping shown here

http://image.mustangandfords.com/f/99729920%20w650%20h650%20cr1/ford-mustang-prototype-engine-bay.jpg
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: Jan.Alsemgeest on October 26, 2015, 06:57:21 PM
Cable running down by the shifter boot for manual choke most likely.
Interesting place to put it!
This repositioned cable was placed on that position by the Alan Mann crew to make it possible to shift in revers (it was connected to the reverse handle on the gearbox).  The car was delivered with a 260 (5 lugs wheels) and manual 3 speed and they change it to a 4-speed. I think they dont had the correct 4-speed shifter mechanism available during the tests. This is described in the book: live of chance. Because of this strange temporary solution it was not possible for the airport personal to get the Mustang in the Airplane when the need to fly to Holland for testing at the Koni shock factory proofing grounds. Alan Mann mechanics drove the car in the plane.
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: Jan.Alsemgeest on November 02, 2015, 08:02:44 AM
I just read the exact text in Mr. Alan Manns book "Live of Chance" and he noticed that it was a "Hood release cable" they use (re-routed) to select the reverse gear handle on the transmission (because of an incorrect (3-speed?) shifter mechanism).
Does the first Pilot cars has a hood release handel???
This fact was not know to me.

Bytheway: It is more plausible that the Alan Mann pilot car is used by Pius Zund for 2 races. Sorry that I'm not allowed to post the images with details. I did find them here: https://purl.stanford.edu/hz678mk1243 and https://purl.stanford.edu/wv531kc6444
Please Google on Pius Zund Mustang and more images of the Red Mustang will appear.
Maybe specialists on this forum can check if you see details which proof that this Pius Zund Mustang is indeed the pilot car (I already noted the Black dashpad/red interiour combination(!) and the coloured door knobs)?
I look forward to your comments.
Jan Alsemgeest
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: Jan.Alsemgeest on November 12, 2015, 08:30:29 AM
No response to the last questions.... ?
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: J_Speegle on November 12, 2015, 07:18:35 PM
Not sure that any of the interior observations are things that would confirm if or if not it was a pilot plant car.
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: 6R07mi on July 16, 2016, 12:49:49 PM
No, never seen any.  Don't believe 001 nor 002 have shock tower stampings.

If you're referring to 5F08F100001 in The Henry Ford, I took this photo last year when they had "Engines Exposed" with various hoods open. ( also got lots of J5 MK-IV Le Mans winner photos )
 so this shows 100001 had regular "production" vin stamp,
IMO the Allen Park pre-March built cars would have the "S" stamp conventions

regards
jim p
Title: Re: Alan Mann Suspension Test car Feb. 1964
Post by: 6R07mi on July 16, 2016, 12:58:55 PM
I just read the exact text in Mr. Alan Manns book "Live of Chance" and he noticed that it was a "Hood release cable" they use (re-routed) to select the reverse gear handle on the transmission (because of an incorrect (3-speed?) shifter mechanism).
Does the first Pilot cars has a hood release handel???
This fact was not know to me.

Bytheway: It is more plausible that the Alan Mann pilot car is used by Pius Zund for 2 races. Sorry that I'm not allowed to post the images with details. I did find them here: https://purl.stanford.edu/hz678mk1243 and https://purl.stanford.edu/wv531kc6444
Please Google on Pius Zund Mustang and more images of the Red Mustang will appear.
Maybe specialists on this forum can check if you see details which proof that this Pius Zund Mustang is indeed the pilot car (I already noted the Black dashpad/red interiour combination(!) and the coloured door knobs)?
I look forward to your comments.
Jan Alsemgeest

The photos referenced of DPK4B have the external visual characteristics of the Alan Mann modified Tour-de-France HiPo cars, IMHO your referenced photos are likely of DPK4B one of 5F07K208110, 111, 112

regards,
jim p